Stopping Cyber Bullying

A local professor testifies in favor of a legislative bill that would strengthen school district’s cyber bullying policies.

Associate Professor at OUZ Karen Slovak testified as an expert witness for Senate Bill 127, also known as the Jessica Logan Act. The bill was named after the teen who committee suicide in 2008 after an incident occurred involving cyber bullying.

"Sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you that’s false," said Associate Professor of Social Work Karen Slovak. "We can’t go by that old adage because definitely now we know that words can hurt emotionally, depression, academic, behavior up to completed suicide."

The current legislation covers bullying and electronic harassment, but doesn’t give administration the right to deal with cyber bullying that happens outside of school, on a school bus, or disrupts the classroom. Senate Bill 127 would do just that.

"It’s important that school social workers, and administrators, and teachers aren’t flying solo in the face of this and they’re not left hanging in situations where they don’t know what to do," said Slovak.

Slovak said this is not a prevention policy, but rather an intervention policy. She encourages parents to call their local legislators to support Senate Bill 127.